Bridger-Teton National Forest Dispersed Camping Rules

14 days in any 30

Order 04-03-328 (Occupancy, Use, & Stay Limit, forest-wide, effective July 7, 2020 through July 1, 2030) prohibits "Camping within the same five-mile radius for more than fourteen (14) days in any thirty (30) consecutive day period" and "returning to camp in any part of the five-mile radius within 30 days after having camped in the same location" — the 5-mile radius is part of the count, and moving campsites within it does not restart the clock. Overlay: in the Jackson, Blackrock, Big Piney, and Greys River Ranger Districts, camping is limited to 5 days within a 30-day period from May 1 through Labor Day (Order 04-03-24-204; the forest camping page: "visitors may only stay up to 5 days within a 30-day period from May 1 through Labor Day").

Where you can camp

Designated sites in some areas

"Dispersed camping (outside campgrounds) is free in the remote areas of the Forest" (forest camping page). In select high-use areas near Grand Teton National Park on the Jackson and Blackrock Ranger Districts — including Curtis Canyon, Shadow Mountain, Toppings Road, Spread Creek, Buffalo Valley, Pacific Creek, Mosquito Creek, Flat Creek, and Phillips Ridge — camping is allowed only at marked, designated sites, and Order 04-03-313 prohibits camping altogether in several river and trail corridors near Jackson. source

Keep your distance

200 ft — Bridger Wilderness only (Order 04-03-312, Pinedale Ranger District): "Camping is prohibited within 200 feet of any lake or designated trail." Open fires are also prohibited above timberline and within the same buffers. source
200 ft — Bridger Wilderness only (Order 04-03-312): no camping within 200 feet of any designated trail. source
100 ft — Bridger Wilderness only (Order 04-03-312): no camping "within 100 feet of streams, creeks, or springs." source
2,640 ft — Seasonal river-corridor camping bans near Jackson (Order 04-03-313, May 1 – Labor Day): no camping within 1/2 mile (2,640 ft — converted from the order's 1/2 mile) of the Snake River between South Park and Sheep Gulch and of the Hoback River from the Snake River junction to the mouth of Granite Creek (Jackson RD), and within 1/2 mile of the Snake River between Bailey Creek and Sheep Gulch (Greys River RD). Read the order for the full corridor list. source

Roads and vehicle access

Check the motor vehicle use map

The forest camping page tells dispersed campers to "make sure you review the corresponding Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM)"; the MVUM page states "Routes not shown on the MVUM are not open to public motor vehicle travel" and "It will be the public's responsibility to reference the MVUM to stay on designated routes for motor vehicle use." No off-route parking distance for dispersed access is published.

Fires right now

Stage 1 fire restrictions — since July 22 last checked August 18, 2026

Whether you can have a fire at your site runs on the forest's fire order, not on camping rules — see the live fire restrictions page for this forest and what each stage still allows before you light anything.

Closures and special orders

Order 04-03-328 — Occupancy, Use, & Stay Limit (forest-wide) The stay-limit order itself: 14 days in any 30 within the same five-mile radius, then move at least 5 miles and stay out of that radius for 30 days. Effective July 7, 2020 through July 1, 2030.
Order 04-03-24-204 — Camping 5-Day Stay Limit (Jackson, Blackrock, Big Piney & Greys River RDs) Limits camping to no more than five days within a 30-day period from May 1 to Labor Day in the four districts closest to Jackson Hole. Posted July 10, 2024.
Order 04-03-313 — Camping Restrictions (Jackson & Blackrock RDs) Designates site-only camping in high-use dispersed areas (Toppings, Spread Creek, Pacific Creek, Colter Dump and others) and prohibits camping in listed corridors: within 1/2 mile of stretches of the Snake and Hoback rivers, near Game Creek Trail, Trail Creek Trailhead, Snow King, Teton Village, and 1/4-mile buffers at Curtis Canyon Campground and the Gros Ventre Wedding Tree. Effective October 18, 2019 through April 30, 2029.
Order 04-03-310 — Fremont & Halfmoon Lake (Pinedale RD) Bans camping and campfires year-round in two areas at Fremont and Halfmoon lakes. Posted October 18, 2019.
Order 04-03-312 — Bridger Wilderness (Pinedale RD) Wilderness occupancy order: no camping within 200 feet of lakes or designated trails or within 100 feet of streams, creeks, or springs; group and stock permits required; fire and waste rules. Posted October 18, 2019.

How to read these rules

Dispersed camping means camping outside a developed campground — no fee, no table, no toilet, no water. You pick an already-used spot, pack out everything you brought, and the rules above are the whole deal you're agreeing to. The stay limit counts the way the card says it counts, not the way it counts on the forest next door: some places count per spot, some across the whole forest, some inside a radius, and moving a short distance often doesn't restart the clock.

Distance rules come in two shapes. Keep-away rules ("at least 100 feet from water") protect the thing you're camping near; stay-close rules ("within 300 feet of the road") keep vehicles on ground that can take them. A line marked recommended on the card is the office's guidance, not an order — the rest are enforceable rules, and a posted sign at the site beats everything on this page.

The motor vehicle use map is the legal answer to "can I drive in there to camp" — if a road isn't on it, that road is closed to your vehicle, and many forests only allow roadside camping along the roads the map marks for it. It's a free PDF; download it before you lose signal.

Fires are a separate rule with a separate clock. Nothing on this page says you can light one — the card's fire line says where that answer lives today. This forest's fire restrictions page carries the current stage with the date it took effect. If a fire is allowed when you get there, buy your wood near camp — hauling firewood from home is how tree-killing pests reach new forests, and the BTU chart says what that local bundle is actually worth.